D Blog Week- Day 4: Mantras and More

"Today let’s share what gets us through a hard day.  Or more specifically, a hard diabetes day.  Is there something positive you tell yourself?  Are there mantras that you fall back on to get you through?  Is there something specific you do when your mood needs a boost?"

  A diabetes day. 

What is a hard diabetes day? 

They are inevitable- and usually inescapable.

Days when we have to give multiple site injections for our pumps - because of a bent cannulas.

Days when we have to test our blood sugar every hour to give insulin - because of high ketones.

Nights when it is 2:30 AM and you are drinking orange juice -  because of low blood sugar.

The list goes on . . . 

Simply put - if you have diabetes, you are going to have hard days. 

If you think about it, a diabetic's blood sugars are constantly fluctuating from low to high- all the time. High blood sugars will affect the way you think, feel, and respond because of too much sugar in your bloodstream. Low blood sugars have the same affect, but this time there is too little sugar to properly function. The human body isn't made to have blood sugars of 34 or 589. When you leave the "normal range"(80-120), you begin a journey into an emotional and physical roller-coaster ride. 

So . . . what does one do when these hard days gloom overhead? 

For the Type One Trio, it seems to be a constant rotation. One will be low, one will be high, and one will be perfect- you never really know. When the bad days come, it helps to have each other because there is a foundation to work off of through the day. The one(s) that are feeling good, are able to help the one(s) that isn't.

Many times there is nothing you can do to avoid a "hard diabetes day." Medication, colds, and allergies all have special abilities to skyrocket our blood sugars. Learning to keep a right perspective is essential.

For me it is simple: 

We are still alive.

Sure, Type One is not easy, predictable, or safe - but we still have an incredible gift: life.